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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. can — a tin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. court — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to click
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. court — of law
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — a tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com